“Brewing is Central” CWU’s Groundbreaking New Brew Degree

The craft brew industry is growing exponentially. There are more than 5,000 craft breweries in the U.S., and a major challenge for them is finding professional brewers. But a new solution to their problem is just 45 minutes away from Yakima — at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. It offers the first Craft Brewing Bachelor of Science degree in the United States, and probably in the world, says Dr. Steve Wagner, director of the program.

Americans chugged down more than 22 billion dollars worth of craft beer in 2015, and new breweries are popping up all the time. The epicenter of all that beer making is on the West Coast, with much of it here in Washington state. We are home to more than 300 craft breweries, second only to California.

Read more of this story in the Yakima Herald-Republic.